COVID-19 and Laurie’s Books

Hello, friends! We’re living in unprecedented, unexpected times, and I wanted to give some updates and some useful tools related to questions we’re getting regularly in Laurie’s inbox. But first, in the immortal words of Leslie Knope:

We’re all in this together, and we believe that we’ll get through it together. Stay safe, stay healthy, take lots of breaks, and wash your hands. And maybe read some books!

Speaking of… on to the promised links and resources. As teaching moves to digital learning spaces, all of Laurie’s publishers have established guidelines for read-alouds over social media. Here they are, broken out by Laurie’s books:

As you might have noticed, Laurie’s also been on Twitter answering questions, giving recommendations, etc. Since she’s not on tour, you can interact with her there!

But wait, there’s more. From Laurie herself:

I have revived my YouTube channel and am posting videos of myself read from my books and answering reader questions. The first book is Fever 1793, of course! Let me know what you think – and please post questions from you, or from your students or kids!

She’s not on a strict posting schedule (even Quarantine Life has its demands) but keep an eye out for new videos!

Sending good thoughts to you and your loved ones from Camp Halse Anderson 💜

-Jenn

More Censorship Resources

Laurie’s been fighting censorship efforts, both against her own books and those of others, for basically her entire writing career. She’s compiled many a guide and link to resources for educators, especially in regards to Speak, and we’ve just updated it!

The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the NCTE (ALAN) has compiled their own great list of resources to help any educator dealing with a challenge. Called Speak Loudly, it includes challenge reports, resources to deal with an active one for classrooms and libraries, position statements, organizations of note, and more. It’s comprehensive and so helpful; we’ve added it to the guide we maintain here, and we encourage you to bookmark it and share it amongst your own colleagues!

Check out the full guide, and please know how grateful we are at Team Halse Anderson for all the work teachers, librarians, and educators do to get books into the hands of the students who need them.

SHOUT Tour Postponed

A message from Laurie:

With heavy heart, I’m postponing my SHOUT paperback book tour and cancelling my attendance at SXSWEDU.

I’m one of those immunocompromised folks you’ve been hearing about; staying home is the only safe option for me.

We’re investigating using tech for a live chat opportunity to connect with stores or book clubs who want to talk with me. Please watch this space for more details.

Wash your hands, my friends!

Let’s take care of each other, read lots of books, and make it through these challenging times in a spirit of compassion.

An image of Laurie complete with the text from above